Australia's koalas are in danger and urgently need your help. The iconic animals have suffered devastating population decline due to human development and could go extinct unless we act now.

While millions of koalas used to roam in the wild, their populations have plummeted by as much as 95% since the 1990s, with as few as 43,000 remaining.

Koalas only live in Australia and rely on eucalyptus trees to survive. But the eucalyptus trees – the koalas’ only food source – are being destroyed at an alarming rate.

Dead koala on the side of a highway

Shortsightedly placing profit above all else, developers have decimated the koalas' natural habitat. Loss of habitat makes koalas climb to the nearest high area, even if no trees are around. They may end up in people’s backyards or other unnatural places, and risk being run over on roads and highways. Habitat loss also leads to encounters with cattle, which is very dangerous for the koalas.

Koala drinking from backyard birdbath

Koala on a fence

Baby koala clinging to injured mother

The Ballina Pacific Highway Upgrade in New South Wales is just one example of how human development gravely threatens the koala. The highway runs straight through koala country, and now eucalyptus trees in the area are being fitted with collars so the koalas cannot climb up. Dangerous and ineffective ramps are being placed to supposedly help wildlife escape the perilous road, but they are so poorly designed that countless koalas and other animals may get trapped and die.

Collared tree

Wildlife ramp

Tragically, the Australian government is failing miserably at protecting the koala. LCA is working with Australians for Animals to put the pressure on Australia’s government to take swift action.

Australia is in desperate need of a conservation plan that will save the koalas and their land. But the government wants to wait until June 2018 to complete the plan – and then wait another 90 days for comments.

The koalas simply do not have that long. Australia must come up with a conservation plan at once and then implement that plan as soon as possible. We cannot let the koalas go extinct!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Contact Australia’s tourism boards to let them know you refuse to visit the country until a koala conservation plan is enacted. Mail, email and/or call the following offices: